Also, if it is crashing at bootup due to the heavy power draw, I wonder if it would be possible to make some sort of 2-3 second delay for the 5v that runs the LEDs?
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Austin, TX
I'll try that, is there another spot that might be better for connecting the LED's?
I'm almost certain that the issue is not caused by the actaul var clock, so I don't think ill need a replacement, but thank you for the offer 
Btw what value resistors do you use for your case LED kits? I've got 4 3mm blue LED's for the Dpad and A/B all hooked up in a series connected to a 470ohm resistor attached to the cap on the LCD board in your pic. It took me forever to find a resistor value that made the LED's bright without draining too much power but I'm not sure if a different value would be more ideal and help the var clock issue.
Thebitman- that does sound like it might work, but I don't know how I would go a bout doing that 
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Boddah wrote:
Thebitman- that does sound like it might work, but I don't know how I would go a bout doing that
Another extra physical switch? So you manually throw it to power the LEDS? Might also be a good option when it comes to battery consumption.
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Austin, TX
Yeah I did think about that but I really don't have any spare room for another switch, I can barely close it up as is haha. I think I'll just tinker with different resistor values until I get a good fit. If I still can't get it going then ill probably have to make some room for a power switch.
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clovis CA
there was a dmg i did, and i added case lights to it, and once i got up to 4 that was the max, the dmg wouldnt power anymore 
plus there was a backlight too.. maybe try using an led calculator? I sure didnt when i tried 
http://ledcalculator.net/
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Austin, TX
I had that same problem on a DMG I modded a while back, but I somehow managed to get 5 LED's installed... I just can't remember what my process was haha.
The LED calculator is definitely something I need to use more often
I'm gonna swap the resistor and try hooking up the variable clock again, I'll post my results shortly.
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Austin, TX
Well, I swapped the resistors for all of the LED's and then reconnected the Variable Clock and now it works perfectly! The only thing I'm still having problems with is the GBA SP speaker. I tried connecting the pins one way, no luck, then switched them, and still nothing. I rebuilt the factory 1/8" jack by removing the pcb and manually wiring the caps and resistors to the jack, then wiring it to the points that the original pcb went to, including the switch pin. The actual jack works perfectly, so I'm a little stumped on the cause of the problem. Perhaps there's not enough power available to go to the speaker? Or should I add caps/resistors to the speaker? Should I just use a different GB speaker?
Today I'm going to try to get a demo video recorded that I can post here showing off some of it's features. Sorry I haven't kept this blog updated recently, but for those interested in more pics of my progress, you can check 'em out on Instagram under @boddahscreations, or here: http://in.5thvillage.com/u/boddahscreations/
Btw thanks to everyone for your support and assistance!
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clovis CA
Boddah wrote:
Well, I swapped the resistors for all of the LED's and then reconnected the Variable Clock and now it works perfectly!
glad to hear it!
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Cleveland, OH
Glad you got the VCv3 working. It sounds like te SP speaker is blown. Did the previous speaker work?
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Austin, TX
The speaker could be blown, but so far I haven't managed to get the SP, DMG, or GBC speakers to work
And so far I'm really diggin' the VC, it's a huge step up from the GetLoFi LTC's. Great job!
Last edited by Boddah (May 9, 2013 9:24 pm)
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Chicago
The speaker issue could be caused by the switching mechanism on the for the amplified out jack.
Make sure that your switch point on the jack is wired to this point in the white box I highlighted.
Good to see everything is going swimmingly!
What value resistors did you use with your leds, I think I am experiencing a similar boot problem.
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Austin, TX
Thanks! I'll check the connection for the switch tomorrow, I may have attached it to a different point. But the speaker may have to come out due space restrictions, I'm having a hard time closing the case with the SP speaker in there...
As for the LED's, I used a 600ohm resistor for the 4 blue D-pad & A/B LED's, and wired them to the capacitor below the screen. Hope that helps!
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Cleveland, OH
Do you have the LEDs wired in series with just one resistor? This would draw a ton of power.
You want to wire them in parallel with about 200-300ohm resistor each since you have so many LEDs and so much else going on.
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Austin, TX
Well I've discussed it with my client and we've decided to remove the speaker. I believe that with it removed, I'll be able to get the case closed much easier.
As for the LED's, I had them wired in parallel at first, it worked but caused more bulk inside the case with all the resistors and extra wires. I didn't realize that having them in series would draw more power than a parallel setup, you learn something new everyday! Once I can get everything else situated in the shell, I'll try to redo the LED situation.
Ok so I ran into another problem yesterday, I'm really hoping it's nothing to freak out over, but I'm a little worried. I was testing the DMG yesterday, and I had to plug in then remove the LCD ribbon cable quite a few times, and I guess over all the time I've spent on the GB the pins weakened and now it looks as if the entire line of pins has broken. The white shielding on the ribbon is still intact, but I can see a small bump across each pin in a straight line. When the ribbon is plugged in, it has to be at a certain angle for the LCD to function. If the ribbon is kept flat near the breaks, it works fine, but the slightest bend in the cable causes it to start cutting in and out. I really think this a fixable problem, but has anyone run into this problem before and found a way to fix it without replacing the LCD PCB? I think I just need something to kind of clamp the ribbon cable around the breaks so that it won't bend in that area. Any suggestions?
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Thick wad of paper/electrical tape did it for my screen cables.